Kevin (@artetechnica.com) for setting up a remote teleconferencing system.

Sharad Satsangi. Getting involved in more biohacking work again.

Zach. Brought all the right expertise, tools, materials and enthusiasm to build the basement shelves.

Various members on the mailing list for constructive criticism regarding the new shelves.

Director Reports

President's Report

Vice President's Report

influenza ftl

minivna extension purchased

grand canyon observed

heard a journalist on the kojo show (wamu) casually refer to hackers in a good way.

Treasurer's Report

Here is the financial summary spreadsheet for December 2013: File:HacDC Financials 2013 12.pdf. One prospective member (not yet voted in) has started paying dues. Longtime member and generous contributor Tim Collins has resigned his membership. Several members haven't paid their dues for a couple of months, and since they've been unresponsive over e-mail it's unclear whether they intend to resign.

Project Awesome

Here is the Project Awesome spreadsheet for December: File:HacDC PA Projects-2013 12.pdf. I'm able to declare a $200 dividend and add $132.29 to our un-earmarked reserves. There were 16 votes, unchanged from the previous month.

Secretary's Report

Reduced wiki users from ~140k to 1.1k (bots, bots, and damned bots).
Verified that all wiki software is updated.

Want to focus on HacDC's calendar.. meaning, if you know of something interesting happening, send it to mailto:secretary@hacdc.org

Spare parts. If it isn't over-engineered, we probably have multiple spares.

No further downtime is expected.

Photolithography PCB Fab

Have literally attempted every reasonable PCB fab technique, including etching spraypaint with our CO2 laser cutter, laser-printer toner transfer, scribing spraypaint with the CNC mill, and finally photolithography.
At this point, the chemical process has been fully tested with excellent results, we just need a better printer for higher-quality photomasks.

Exposed and developed photoresist. Note the rather solid bare/resist regions. Fused lines are due to printed photomask quality.

Chemically etched copper. Note the high-quality edges on the large pads. Uneven and lost traces are due to manual cleanup attempt.

HacDC UV Laser Cutter

The CO2 laser cutter does not add any particularly novel functionality to HacDC. Lacking precision, it is only useful where a shopbot would likely be more versatile.

To bring higher-resolution laser cutting to HacDC, a UV 405nm laser has been strapped to our CNC mill. Unfortunately, this laser is estimated at <100mW, limited to cutting thin, dark paper. Using a 2W laser like this one for $70 would allow us to laser spraypaint off circuit boards for etching, cut high-quality soldermasks, scribe fine-pitch text, etc.

Of course, a 2W UV laser raises some safety concerns, so only trained individuals should use that with the appropriate safety equipment (just like any other laser cutter).

MiniVNA Extender

Thanks to haxwithaxe confirming the order, we now have an 1.5GHz extender for our vector network analyzer en route. This enables UHF antenna testing, transmission line testing, mid-range capacitor/inductor parasitic testing, and more.

Projector/OpenDisplay

Have 3 giant fresnel lenses from old projection TVs. If we can use the badly scratched Fresnel upstairs out-of-focus in the light gathering optics, we only need one more of these lenses from old projection TVs on craigslist.

Also, a modular pallet-and-rail will be used for the optics this time. The prototype frame that has been taking up space in the workshop is no longer useful, and was disassembled for that reason.

Optical Table CNC

We have been recently donated about $1k worth of large aluminum extrusions. We now have the resources to build full gantry on the Optical Table at minimal expense. Soon as that Optical Table is on its feet, will outfit it with a variety of milling/extruding/lasering tools. Similar to the Flex Replicator, but much larger at 8' x 4' , and likely accurate to 0.5 microns.

We should then be able to make large wood frames, print hundreds of objects in a week, etc.

This is urgently stalled by the HacDC cleanup. Lack of a large area CNC has recently cost at least 150 hours of my time at HacDC while maintaining 3D printer and laser cutter, and more projects are waiting.

Biohacking

Imagnus

We have a really cool product. While we would prefer not to tip off any competition as all of the exact mechanisms behind it, the system does work, and we are prepared for even more in the next few weeks.

Biosignal Amplifier

SigBlockly has been released. This graphical programming environment eases C development for signal processing and control systems tasks.

C_CMake_Template has been released, to ease development for new C software projects.

Host driver software is therefore nearly finished. Once libsndfile has been integrated properly, users will have an ultra-high-performance two-channel 'plug-and-play' USB ECG/EMG/EEG.

Thursday Meetings

The Thursday biohacking meetings have been getting quiet, but the core members still occasionally drop by and express interest. With the biosignal amplifier nearly finished, and hopefully more tools deployed at HacDC, we should be able to resume other projects.

Basement Shelves & Cleanup

Members are encouraged to discuss floor plan options with mirage335 after the meeting.

Personally, mirage335 has invested a lot into expanding HacDC capabilities, and doesn't see the following as particularly beneficial to those efforts:

Cutting down the new shelves without first providing an adequate alternative.

Unduly bureaucratizing new materials or equipment at HacDC.

Feel free to skim over the rest of this section during the meeting.

The Debate

Despite a full CAD model, lengthy comment period, and general consensus that the shelves should be built, all well in advance of their construction, suggestions have emerged to cut down the new shelves, among other things.

Please consider:

If the shelves were not built, we would still be doing nothing effective about lack of storage, cleanup, or equipment workstations, probably for several more years.

Cutting down the new shelves could delay cleanup and equipment workstations more months and years. Every project risks non-completion.

Alternative uses for the basement are going nowhere at that rate anyway.

Smaller shelves will not give us any unused storage space, leaving no room for growth.

Also, it is worth noting:

AFAIK, HacDC is paying very little rent for that basement, among other things I might say on that point.

About $300 and four person-days of effort have gone into the shelves. Jeopardizing that needs something to show for doing so.

Those who want something dramatically different can build it, demonstrate that it works, and THEN propose removal of older solutions.

Personally, I have put in at least several hundred hours cleaning up the space as well as maintaining HacDC's 3D printer and laser cutter. At least half that time was wasted due to lack of maneuvering room, a problem these shelves are needed to solve.

On the positive side, there are some more reasonable ways to address concerns raised in the debate, outlined below. Also, next time I propose something like this (if ever...), dimensions will be included in the render image.

Wheels

At a cost of approximately $43.17, we can add wheels to the shelves capable of supporting 1.6 metric tons. Additional wheels or fixed supports can be fitted later.

Floor Plans

Floor plans are still in progress, derived from the Solidworks 3D models published on github. Other members are invited to explore alternative layouts using these files.

Also, the tables and carts modeled are not only speculative, but intended to be shared with both rooms in the basement. At any time, members could push the carts out of whichever room is most in use, or perhaps even temporarily outside.

Policy Changes

Some have objected to HacDC storing anything at all, and others have proposed unduly bureaucratic processes. While this probably is not a growth-oriented viewpoint, the need for a more effective, well publicized disposal policy, may be. I have been attempting help out by drafting such a policy.

myDAQ and myDSP

Old Business

Zach purchased materials for basement shelves, and should now be reimbursed up to $400 (exact receipt value is not known to mirage335).

Approving another $75 will allow wheels to be added to the shelves. That is not to say the wheels will be added just because their budget was approved.

Katie proposes we allocate $100 for our traditional holiday gift to the security guard. Update (Dec. 22): ITG has provided the $100 gift to the guard; this proposal includes reimbursing him.

Shelves

$600 for shelves to mirage.

Quorum not met, could not vote.

Honorary Memberships

The Doctor

The Doctor is one of the founding members of Project Byzantium and one of the largest contributors to the project. He has made numerous other contributions including donating time and equipment to improve the space, and helping us to network with other individuals and organizations with shared interests.

Bradford Barr

Former President of HacDC. He is also headed off the SF. Brad has been a long-time supporter of HacDC's mission. He donated a lot of time to HacDC over the years including teaching a number of classes on a variety of topics from Python to lockpicking to yo-yos.